


love you for a long time

by fluorescent_adolescent13



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, alyssa is looking for a fresh start, beach town au, but make it gay, emma owns her gran's old store, inspired by that movie everyone forgets exists: safe haven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22575529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluorescent_adolescent13/pseuds/fluorescent_adolescent13
Summary: “Can I help you with something?”“Um,” Alyssa shook her head. Her mouth opened and shut like one of the fish that had been freshly plucked from the ocean that morning. She took a few steps towards the woman. Round glasses perched on the end of her nose. A light tan etched onto her skin. Broad shoulders that led to strong arms. Alyssa cleared her throat. “I was just waiting for the place to clear out. I didn’t really want to squeeze in between tourists fighting over Hershey bars.”The blonde laughed. "Well, you have the place to yourself now."-OR the nicholas sparks au that absolutely nobody asked me for.
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

The smell of salt in the air always brought Alyssa back to her childhood. It gifted memories of beach days and summers spent sifting through rock pools. They would drift in and out of her mind just as quickly as the sea breeze passed her by. She walked on a little further, following the rows of fishing boats that were lined up neatly by the side of the dock and bobbing out of sync in the water. She stopped as she reached the end of the walkway. A sleepy town on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean was as good a place as any to lay down some new roots.

Alyssa pulled her jacket a little tighter around her body as she leaned against the wooden railing, eyes drifting down to the water beneath her. There was a chill in the morning air that would soon make way for a warmer afternoon. As the last days of spring were trickling away slowly, its absence making way for better weather. It wasn’t often that Alyssa agreed with her mother but this might have been one of those rare occasions.

Edgewater was exactly where she needed to be to set her head straight.

Her mother’s words were still ringing in her ears. They were as clear as they’d been the first time she’d heard them. The long drive that they’d taken together from Indiana to Edgewater, North Carolina had passed by in somewhat of a daze. The older woman had insisted that they do it together. She wanted to be there to help her daughter unpack and make sure that she was settled in alright.

Or so she had rambled. 

On and on about how this was the perfect place for the fresh start that the twenty-six year old needed. Her mother had filled the car up to the brim with stories as they passed from one state to the next - hoping that her own nostalgia for the town would bleed into Alyssa’s mind. As though it would make her long for a place that she’d never even been to. Even as they had pulled up to her new home, the sound of the car crunching unforgivingly over twigs and branches that had strayed onto the narrow road leading to the middle of nowhere, all that Alyssa could think about was the peace and quiet that she’d come in search of. She wanted a head start.

The talking had stopped quickly, thankfully, as they got out of the car. The house wasn’t exactly what either of them had been expecting. More than a few details had been left out to Alyssa when she was making arrangements over the phone, but the brunette didn’t care much. As soon as she laid her eyes on the place she knew that it was the perfect fit. It had to be. All of her savings had been poured into buying it.

“It’s going to need a little love,” her mother had said, following the younger woman up onto the front porch. She had picked at some paint on the wood as she went. Her eyes had narrowed as she watched Alyssa pluck up a set of keys from underneath a welcome mat. There was a lot of trust in a small town. Alyssa had shimmied the keys around in the lock for a few moments, finally getting the door to open with just the right twist and a firm kick. “A  _ lot  _ of love.”

Alyssa had only flashed her a smile. “Really? I think that it’s perfect.”

The wooden floors were a little worn out from countless years of service and the curtains left hanging by the previous owner seemed like they had been taken straight from a 1970s catalogue, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed. The kitchen table and living room were merged together in one. The fridge was pushed into one corner of the room while the couch was pushed up against a wall far on the other side. The sink stood alone, the same curtains from the window dangling below it to cover up a cabinet and plumbing underneath. There was a small coffee table, and a stove, and a table with a couple of chairs pushed around it, but not much else. It was charming. At least, that was what Alyssa kept telling herself. 

That was a few days ago now though.

Since then she’d made a pretty good start. She had spent more time balancing awkwardly on top of chairs and down on all fours than she ever had before, dusting and cleaning away any signs of neglect that the space had gathered over the years. And then she moved onto the next task on her list. It seemed like it would never end. Alyssa had scrubbed the bathroom tirelessly until her fingers were aching and she could practically see her reflection gazing back at her from the linoleum floors below her. And then she had gotten rid of those drapes. 

Little by little it was already starting to feel like home. Only just, though.

“Shit,” Alyssa mumbled under her breath. Her gaze drifted away from the seagulls that were floating along the surface of the water and down to the watch on her wrist. She spun on her heels, jogging back up the path that she’d come down until she finally met the main road again. She followed it for a few minutes until she reached the building that she was looking for.

_ Angie’s. _

* * *

Alyssa wound her way around the tables in her section, scanning over them as she passed by. The routine was growing more and more familiar with each shift that passed her by. It brought back a hundred memories of being back in college again - trying desperately to make ends meet by working long hours at an array of ramshackled diners. Maybe it made her a little over confident when it came to balancing half a dozen plates in her arms to and from the kitchen, but she was only going to start worrying about it as soon as one of them dropped. She placed them down carefully one by one, returning a few moments later with a fresh pitcher of water and another warm smile before turning back to the waitress station.

Alyssa brought a hand to her forehead, taking a second to breathe and wipe back the curls that had begun to stick to her skin. The breeze that floated in every now and then from the sea had become a welcome source of relief from the clamminess that had settled in the air over the last few hours. The early afternoon had become far more unforgivingly than the cool morning. She straightened her t-shirt, making sure that her makeshift name tag was still firmly in place, and tucked a loose corner of fabric back into her jeans.

_ Angie’s _ , the shirt read.  _ You’ll be hooked! _

It was cheesy. But then again, so was the rest of the place. When Alyssa took a moment to look around the place and its patrons, all she could think of was how it looked like a perfect scene plucked straight out of one of her stories. Everyone in their place. Comfortable conversations flowing like the tide as they ordered the same meals they had for the past twenty years.  _ Angie’s  _ was an institution. There wasn’t much to fix if it never had been broken in the first place. 

Maybe, Alyssa couldn’t help but consider, she would write about Edgewater properly one day. She would write about the glances that she stole of the ocean whenever she could, her eye line stretching out past the edge of the restaurant as she mindlessly mixed together a fresh pitcher of sweet tea. She would write about how the drink never seemed to go out of fashion. She would write about the way that the skies seemed to go on forever. How they were always the same colour as robin’s egg about to hatch. How the calm waters below always seemed to mirror that enticing shade of blue when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. There was something undeniably soothing about the image.

“‘Lyssa,” a voice called out from behind her, a light tap on her shoulder following a second later. Alyssa ran a damp cloth across the surface of the station as her attention was forced away from the view yet again, doing her best to look busier than she had been a moment ago. She turned to look for the source of the noise, reaching behind her back to tie the strings of her apron a little tighter. “Can you take another table? I’m swamped.”

Alyssa scanned her own zone for a second, giving Kaylee a nod and a reassuring smile. She reached for the pitcher that she’d just made up and headed in the direction that the other woman had motioned to. Kaylee couldn’t have been that much younger than herself. She was pretty, a perfect ponytail resting on her head, with eyes that were still filled with a sense of small town ambition. Alyssa couldn’t help but hope that she would make something of herself outside of a seafood place on the eastern shore. She hoped that the spark in her eyes would never be put out by staying put. Alyssa had liked Kaylee from the moment that they’d met but their conversations had never gone much deeper than idle gossip. She was easy enough to talk to, though Alyssa tended mostly just to listen her way most of their chats, and she didn’t ask too many questions. 

It was a nice feeling. Knowing that she had at least one friend in the place.

Alyssa weaved her way back through the sea of customers, reaching into the front pocket of her apron to grab her notepad and pen. She took the group’s order quickly, offering them something to drink and giving out her usual quota of meaningless small talk. It didn’t take much to drag the brunette’s concentration away from what she was doing - some movement at the far end of the deck causing her eyes to lag behind her as her legs carried her to the kitchen hatch.

There was a woman standing at the top of a small ladder. It was only maybe three or four feet high at most, but Angie held a hand to it in support regardless. The stranger’s hands fiddled with the sign that hung out by the side of the restaurant, pausing her screwdriver only to push the sleeves of her flannel up a little higher past her elbows before continuing. The sign had been rattling against the building with every sharp gust of wind that blew in. It hadn’t been bothering Alyssa too much. The usual volume of the restaurant masked it perfectly well. She probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all if not for the complaints that Angie made, and the rant that she had went on about a tiny missing screw being the culprit of it all. Alyssa had tried her best to listen. The only reason that she was standing where she was, was all because the older woman had taken a chance on hiring her. It was either waitressing or fishing, and Alyssa sure as hell knew which one she liked the thought of more.

“I don’t think it’s gonna slow down any today,” Kevin called out to her, leaning against the opening between the restaurant floor and the kitchen. Alyssa managed to catch a glimpse of the stranger’s curls as she stepped back down onto solid ground, but not much else. Her head whipped around. “They just keep coming.”

“It’s a nice day out,” Alyssa replied with a small shrug.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he corrected. “Which is why they should all be down at the beach instead of in here sipping sweet tea and wasting the sunlight.”

Kevin worked in the kitchen, though he never seemed to pass up on the opportunity to peak his head out and flirt with whatever waitress would give him the time. It didn’t matter that Alyssa had only been working in the place for half a week - he didn’t waste any time in letting her know just how interested he was. It wasn’t like he wasn’t a nice guy. He seemed like the perfect gentleman to take home and introduce to your parents - though Alyssa was pretty certain that Kevin still lived with his. His eyes were bright and kind, and enough to suck anyone in, but she tried her best to slip in a few comments here and there when he was within earshot to make it clear that she wasn’t interested in dating anyone that she worked with. Alyssa had never caught his reaction to her words but she had a feeling that it wouldn’t do much to stop him.

She ripped her ticket from the pad, handing him it across the counter. “You’re probably right there.”

He pinned the order up. “Can I drive you home later?”

Alyssa couldn’t fault his persistence. He’d been asking her the same question for three days. “I’m good, Kev. But thank you for the offer.”

“Are you sure I-”

“I’m sure,” she gave him a tight smile, picking up a few fresh plates that were ready to be taken out to customers. Her eyes couldn’t help but wander back out in search of the stranger again. Her curiosity usually prevailed. Though this time when Alyssa looked back out to the deck, the woman and her tools were long gone.

* * *

The next morning Alyssa woke early. She stepped out onto the porch -  _ her  _ porch - with sleep still nagging at her senses. There was nothing more that she wanted than to relish in a long lie but the sunlight that had been streaming through her window protested against her. She raised the mug in her hands up to her mouth, pausing slightly to savour the aroma of the coffee within as it floated upwards to meet her nostrils. The wooden boards creaked beneath her feet with every small movement she made.

She tilted her neck from side to side until each ear brushed against her shoulder, letting out a long sigh as two familiar cracks provided her with a little relief. She rolled her shoulders back, twisting her back in an attempt to dissipate some of the stiffness that had gathered overnight. Working the lunch and dinner shifts back to back had seemed like a far better idea at the time. There was only so long that she could rely on the little money left of her savings and the last thing that Alyssa wanted to do was have to call her mom for help. She twisted again, hoping that the aching deep in her muscles would be quelled by the light stretches. The rush lasted until just after nine o’clock. Alyssa stayed around later than was expected of her - doing her best to help the busboys move plates and wipe down tables, making sure that everything was how it should be before she finally started the long walk back home. She was just grateful that her complexion didn’t leave much room for her to get sunburned. Long stretches taking orders out on the deck was enough to give anyone a half decent tan.

She took a long sip, her gaze drifting along the line of trees surrounding the house. It was quiet. There was little noise other than the light rustle of leaves above her head. There was no television, no radio, no cars bustles one way or the other along the road. Alyssa loved it. The fresh air was already doing wonders to clear her mind and make way for a barrage of new ideas. She just had to figure out how to put pen back to paper again.

She took a deep breath, letting the air fill up her lungs to the brim until the organs were pushing at her rib cage, before exhaling slowly and turning back into the house. Maybe it was time to start thinking about yoga again. It wouldn’t hurt. Alyssa grabbed her bag from its spot by the door, setting it down on the table to wait for her as she moved towards the sink and twisted the faucet - rinsing out the last dregs of coffee from the bottom of her cup. She wiped her hands dry on the sides of her sweats before reaching for her bag again and unzipping it. The tips at the restaurant weren’t much - the food was too cheap to warrant more than a few dollars here and there - but the people were beyond kind and the long days that she pulled would only help things add up eventually. She pulled out a crumpled ten dollar bill. There had been an empty coffee can on top of the fridge when she’d moved in. Alyssa figured that it was as good a place as any to stash some of her takings, that it was better to have it put away in case of an emergency than anything else. She halved her earnings, telling herself that she would find the nearest bank and open a new account at some point, but for now it was safe hidden underneath her bed. 

Alyssa made her way back into the bedroom, pulling open the chest of drawers in the corner of the room and grabbing the first pair of shorts she could find. The air was humid and the rest of the day was set to be warmer than yesterday, but she figured that she could make it into town and back before the midday sun started to beat down on them all. As far as she could make out there was only one real store in the whole of the town. Angie had mentioned there being a Walgreens in the town over but she didn’t have a car and wasn’t ready to start braving the bus routes. The little store on the edge of the water would do for now.

The walk didn’t take long at all. The roads were starting to commit themselves to Alyssa’s memory. She gazed up at the building in front of her as her converse crunches against the gravel beneath her. The bottom half of the place was taken up entirely by a convenience store of sorts, the gas pumps leading to a deck which wrapped itself from the door all away around the building, and out to a long wooden pier. Alyssa wasn’t sure that she’d ever seen so many boats in one town before. She would be surprised if there were any fish left. The top half looked a little more homely though. Maybe someone lived up there.

The bell jingled as she pushed the door open. Alyssa grimaced at the attention it drew from a few of the customers standing around her, their eyes flickering up from the magazines they were pawing through. She was surprised that she’d even managed to get into the building considering the amount of traffic that was filtering in and out of the aisles - stemming, Alyssa could only assume, from the greyhound bus that was parked patiently outside.

Alyssa steered clear of the crowd as best she could, waiting patiently for them to finish choosing what they wanted and stretching their legs before she reached for the short grocery list she’d written for herself. She scanned across the store as she walked back a few rows, finding herself at a wall and a small, yet considerably extensive, hardware aisle. There were a couple of computer monitors a few feet away, tucked in between a rack of loose swimming trunks, some books and a shelf of dry bait. Alyssa made a mental note to remember they were there, or at least to ask about using the wifi at some point if she could. She hadn’t really considered how difficult it would be to set up the internet in the middle of nowhere when she’d found the house listing. Her eyes drifted back down to the shelves in front of her, sifting through an array of screws and tools that she was suddenly finding a lot more interesting that she normally would. That was until her eyes finally settled on a long rectangular book. 

A catalogue of paint colours. Now that was an idea. 

She hadn’t really thought much about the walls in the house but the more that she pictured the living room alone, with its floral wallpaper and old-fashioned trimming, Alyssa began to think that a lick of paint would be good for the place. She reached over to have a better look for herself but a voice jolted her back to reality again before her fingertips could meet the card.

“Can I help you with something?”

Alyssa’s head darted up. It had come from a blonde woman standing behind the counter. She couldn’t have been much older than Alyssa herself but the weathered look in her eyes was enough to fool anyone. She did look a little familiar though. Alyssa couldn’t quite place it.

“Um,” Alyssa shook her head. Her mouth opened and shut like one of the fish that had been freshly plucked from the ocean that morning. She took a few steps towards the woman as her eyes flickered across her body. Round glasses perched on the end of her nose. A light tan etched onto her skin. Broad shoulders that led to strong arms. Alyssa cleared her throat. “I was just waiting for the place to clear out. I didn’t really want to squeeze in between tourists fighting over Hershey bars.”

“Well, you have the place to yourself now,” the blonde let out a laugh. She settled back onto her stool and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “They can be kind of...ravenous at times. Um, just holler if you need a hand finding anything.”

Alyssa smiled, humming her thanks as she grabbed a woven basket from a pile stacked waist high at the door. She made her way back in the direction of canned goods and pasta, picking up a couple of things that would make for a good dinner - even if it was just for one. She turned over a few packets, pretending to care about the nutritional information on the back, using it as an excuse to steal a few glances at the blonde. Alyssa threw in a new toothbrush and some toiletries, tossing in a jar of ground coffee to get herself through the early mornings of the next week or so. The aisle closest to the register was full to the brim with snacks. Perfectly situated for the passing traveller. Alyssa threw in a couple of bags of chips for good measure.

“So,” Alyssa said. The corners of her mouth betrayed her, tugging upwards as she placed the half full basket up onto the counter. The woman shot to her feet, tossing the notebook that she had been scribbling in away from her - grimacing at the smack the cover made as it hit the floor. “You get crowds like that in here often?”

She nodded, her hands reaching for the shopping. She totalled up the cost as she unpacked everything. “We get two or three buses from the city every second day. They’re not always full but with the good weather coming in things are getting a little busier. I can’t really complain.”

The blonde started to pack everything into a brown paper bag for her. “Oh, you don’t have t-”

“It’s nothing,” she replied, waving a hand haphazardly and turning back to the register. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “That’ll be twenty two dollars even.”

Alyssa hesitated before reaching into her bag, finding herself a little too zoned in. There was something about her that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “Right, sorry,” the brunette let out a laugh. She handed over the money before reaching for the groceries, realising quickly that the bag was a lot heavier than she’d anticipated it being. “Have a good day.”

“You too,” the woman waved, a smile lingering on her lips. “I’ll be seeing you.”

Alyssa’s legs carried her back home without much thought. The weight of the bag in her arms was forgotten about quickly. Her mind was full to the brim with thoughts about the encounter that she’d just had. She would have to come back soon to ask about those paint colours. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! it's a still a little mysterious for now but i have big plans - will follow the film super duper loosely.
> 
> if you enjoy, leave a review and let me know what you think!

Emma let out a low groan, slumping back down onto her stool again. She tried to avoid watching Alyssa walk away but she could still see the brunette in her peripheral vision. Emma was just grateful that there was nobody left in the store to hear her now. 

“ _ ‘Holler if you need anything’ _ ,” she said to herself, mimicking her own words from a few minutes previously. Emma pulled a face. “ _ ‘I’ll be seeing you’ _ . Idiot.”

She gave herself a shake. The woman, whoever she was, would no doubt leave town soon enough and be a long forgotten memory in just as much time. That was one positive at least that Emma could wrangle out of the situation. Everyone always left. Usually, that was, within about an hour of getting here, and then they got back on the bus to wherever they were going or the next middle of nowhere pee stop. 

Still though, it wasn’t often that someone like her came through somewhere like this - Emma knew that for sure. It would have been nice to at least have found out her name.

“We’re back!” Barry called out from the back of the store, dragging Emma out of her thoughts and back to reality again as the sound of two running pairs of feet stomping against wooden flooring filled up the store to the brim. 

“Hey,” Emma called back, forcing a smile across her face as she pushed all thoughts of the brunette to the very back of her mind - hoping that they would stay there for good. “How was breakfast?”

Barry’s tired smile refused to budge as he made his way over to the counter. All things considered, he looked a lot less exhausted by morning with the kids than Emma had expected him to. It wasn’t like he would ever complain though. Emma ruffled Luke’s hair as he passed her by, though he barely even looked up to grunt a hello back at her as he made a beeline for his favourite spot on the dock - his fishing rod already in hand.

“Good,” Ellie exclaimed. She reached for the backpack that Barry had slipped off his shoulders a moment earlier, fishing around for her colouring book. “I had pancakes!”

Emma feigned excitement. “You did?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed with a nod, her attention already half lost as she began searching for her pens.

“You are a saint,” Emma sighed, turning to Barry once she was content. 

He smiled and nudged her shoulder gently with his. “I know.”

“Thank you again. I just needed a few hours-”

Barry waved a hand haphazardly, brushing her words off before she could finish. “You know it’s no trouble at all. Besides, you look like you haven’t had a solid sleep in a week, so you should let me take them more than just a couple of hours here and there.”

Emma shook her head. “I’ll be fine. As soon as things are back to normal-”

“That’s all fine and well, Emma,” Barry shook his head right back at her. “But then he leaves for another few weeks and you’re all on your own again. It’s not fair. You should be out there living your life, partying your twenties away-” He threw in a joking shimmy for good measure, making Emma chuckle. “...maybe even meet someone.”

Her mind flickered back to the brunette from earlier. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Barry laughed. “I’m always right. You should know that by now, kiddo.”

* * *

It didn’t take long at all for Alyssa to find her way back to the store again. She couldn’t quite shake her encounter with the blonde woman that she had met a few days before, but she tried not to put it down to that. It was getting pretty boring living on leftovers from Angie and her own mediocre pasta dishes. Groceries were the last thing on Alyssa’s mind though as she drew closer to the front store, her ears pricking up as they caught onto a sound drifting from the jammed open door. Strumming. She held herself back for a few moments, letting her curiosity prevail. 

Alyssa leaned carefully against the door frame, watching intently as Emma played through the same section again on guitar - the blonde’s nose wrinkling as she corrected herself, unable to quite get something right. It sounded wonderful to Alyssa though. Emma rested her chin on top of the wood as she leaned forward to scribble something down on her notebook, before sitting up again and humming along with the next chord she played. 

“ _ All I want is-.  _ Shit, no,” Emma interrupted herself. Alyssa couldn’t draw her eyes away from the blonde. The way that her eyebrows creased as she thought through something, and the way that her tongue would stick out ever so slightly between her lips as she crossed out something else on the paper. The buzz of the music in the humid air was like something Alyssa had seen in a movie. Or read about in a book, filling her with the type of indescribable nostalgia that makes you yearn for something you never even experienced. She couldn’t have written it better if she had tried herself. “ _ All it takes is you and me, and a- _ ”

The floorboard creaked unforgivingly under the weight of Alyssa as she shifted her weight slightly.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-,” Alyssa babbled apologetically, grimacing at her own nosiness. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”

Emma’s head shot up sharply. Her fingers instinctively wrapped themselves around the neck of her guitar as she lifted it away and placed it by her side. 

“It’s okay,” Emma assured her, a smile slipping across her lips as her eyes met the brunette’s. “You just caught me by surprise. It’s been a quiet day.”

Alyssa smiled back, letting out a small sigh of relief. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she stepped further inside the building, trying to quell the sudden wave of nervousness that was tugging at her. “It sounded nice - whatever it was that you were playing.”

“Oh,” Emma’s cheeks prickled red. It wasn’t often that anyone heard her music except for, well, herself. “Thanks. It’s nothing really, just something that I’m messing around with.”

“You wrote it?”

“Yeah,” Emma replied sheepishly. 

“Wow,” Alyssa’s smile grew, her eyebrows raising with it. “That’s impressive.”

Emma willed her blush to disappear. “It’s nothing really.”

“You should give yourself more credit. I tried learning when I was in high school but-” Alyssa raised her arms, wiggling her fingers slightly. “-small hands.”

“Maybe you just need a better teacher.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s it.”

Emma closed over her notebook as Alyssa took a few more steps forward, tucking it safely away under the counter. “I used to be better but life just kind of got in the way, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa nodded. “It has a habit of doing that sometimes.”

They looked at each other for a beat, neither saying anything else, until Alyssa cleared her throat. Her eyes darted away from Emma’s and she took a step back, turning her focus onto the shelves to her side. Emma followed her as she began meandering through the aisles. 

“I don’t think I caught your name?”

Alyssa turned back, reaching out her hand with the same smile as before. “Alyssa Greene.”

Emma took her hand, squeezing gently. She could have sworn that a jolt of electricity sparked through her fingertips at the brunette’s touch. Maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.  _ Alyssa _ . Her name was like a ray of light cutting through the clouds. Emma could feel it on the tip of her tongue, itching to get out.

“Alyssa,” she nodded. “I’m Emma. Uh, Nolan. Emma Nolan.”

“Nolan? Like the sign above the door?” she asked, pulling back her hand again. Emma hummed her yes. “Well, Emma uh, Nolan. I was hoping that you could help me with something.”

_ Anything _ , Emma thought - though she didn’t let herself say that out loud. 

“I can try my best.”

“I need to buy some paint,” Alyssa continued. “My boss Angie mentioned that I might be able to order some from you.”

“Sure. I have a book with a bunch of different colours that you can look through, just give me a second.” Alyssa watched Emma skip up the stairs at the back corner of the store, returning a minute or so later with a thick book in hand. She waved the brunette over to the counter and pushed it over. “You can take it home if you like?” Emma offered. “Just bring it back tomorrow...or whenever you can really. It doesn’t get used too often anyway.”

“Thank you.”

Emma slipped back behind the counter as Alyssa’s eyes scanned across the page, flipping to the next one after a few moments. Emma’s gaze followed each movement that her slender fingers made. It couldn’t help but drift ever so slightly, travelling further up the brunette’s arms. A light tan had developed over her skin since the last time that she had been in the story - light caramel turning to a golden brown and...

Emma stopped herself short. It was inappropriate. Her eyes flickered down to the logo etched on Alyssa’s t-shirt, her brain finally putting two and two together. “So you work at Angie’s?”

Alyssa nodded, turning another page. “I started a few weeks ago. It’s a nice place.”

“It is,” Emma agreed. “I do some handy work over there now and again. Angie’s an old friend.”

Alyssa paused, her mind darting back to an almost forgotten memory. She hadn’t thought about the stranger fixing the sign outside of the restaurant since her shift had finished that day. It really was a small town. Her eyes flickered back up to meet Emma’s again. “I think this one.”

“Tuscan sun yellow,” Emma read out hesitantly. Alyssa nodded. “How much do you need?”

“Oh,” Alyssa frowned. “I hadn’t actually thought that far. It’s a small house, I only want to paint the front room-”

“It’s not the one that was up for rent on Longacre is it?”

“It is, actually,” she smirked. “Good guess.”

Emma smiled, almost pleased with herself. “I know the place. Are you staying for long?”

Alyssa paused. She wasn’t so sure on how to answer that one. “For a little while, at least.”

Emma nodded. “I’ll order it up for you. It’ll probably take a few days or so to come.”

Alyssa nodded. “I’ll stop by then.”

“I mean, I could just take your numb-”

Alyssa cut her off before she could finish, catching something out of the corner of her eye. “Those computers in the corner - is there any chance that I might be able to use one?”

“The computers?” the blonde repeated, still cringing slightly at her half baked attempt to get the other woman’s number. It had been a little while since anyone had gone near them. They were relatively untouched in the corner, with the exception of a few older people that hadn’t quite moved on with the times yet. Emma had been meaning to move them for a while but she couldn’t quite bring herself to relegate them to the depths of eBay for some tech nerd to tear apart. “I mean, sure. They’re a little slow though.”

Alyssa shrugged. “I haven’t gotten around to figuring out the internet situation at home yet. I’m not even sure I can,” she rambled on. “I’m kind of stuck in the middle of nowhere. Well, I suppose you know that.”

Emma nodded along, trying to hold back a selfish smile. The paint and the house and the internet worries meant that the brunette was staying around town for the foreseeable future, which meant that she just might be seeing some more of her. Emma certainly wouldn’t complain. “Do you have a laptop? You could bring it here and just connect to the WiFi. There’s some seats out by the dock and we always have fresh coffee-”

“That’s a kind offer but-”

Emma scuffed her foot against the wooden floor beneath her. “The company wouldn’t hurt either.”

Alyssa’s lips twitched upwards. The company would be a nice change for her too. “I might just take you up on that.”

“Well, you know where I am.”

Alyssa let out a soft laugh. There was just something so endearing about the blonde. “I should be getting to work. How much do I owe you?”

“Thirty dollars will do it.”

Alyssa nodded, reaching into her bag for the money before handing it over. “A few days?”

“A few days.”

“Perfect,” Alyssa smiled warmly. “Well, Emma, I’ll be seeing you.”

* * *

It wasn’t because of Emma.

That’s what Alyssa tried to tell herself every day as she passed by the store. She had started walking that way because it was a quicker route from work to home - it just so happened that it let her catch little glimpses of the blonde on the way. A couple of days passed by without that small pleasure though - between late finishes and everything in between - and Alyssa found herself growing disappointed, but on Thursday Emma’s eyes caught hers as soon as she turned the corner onto the main road. 

Alyssa could have sworn that the blonde had been waiting for her to pass by.

“Alyssa Greene!”

Her lips curled upwards immediately. She crossed over to the gravel outside of the store, calling back as she walked. “Hey!”

“I, um,” the blonde started, but found herself stuttering the closer that Alyssa drew. Her mouth went dry. She wanted to kick herself - acting like some awkward teenager talking to a girl for the first time. She would be lying if she said that she hadn’t been thinking about seeing Alyssa all week. It was pretty much all she had thought about. “Your paint...”

“My paint?” Alyssa echoed, her smile only growing wider.

“...is here. Your paint is here,” Emma nodded. “It came yesterday but I didn’t have your number or anything, and I wasn’t about to show up at your house like some weirdo, so I waited for you to pass by-”

Alyssa let out a small laugh. It was endearing. Cute, even.

“You knew I was going to walk by?”

Emma’s cheeks flushed red. “I’m realising now that I didn’t avoid the weird thing too well.”

“Not at all,” Alyssa shook her head. She followed Emma as the blonde turned back towards the store. “It’s my bad. I took a couple of extra shifts this week because one of the girls is sick.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Emma shrugged, motioning up to the counter. “Two tins of Tuscan sun yellow for you. I found some spare primer in the back and grabbed some extra supplies for you - it’s all in the bag there.”

Alyssa took a step forward, peering into the brown paper bag curiously. “Oh, thank you. I didn’t even think about some of this stuff.” She moved to reach into her own bag. “How much do I owe you?”

“No, no, nothing,” Emma shook her head. “It’s just some stuff I had laying around that I figured you could make some use of it. It’s nothing really.”

“I don’t mind-”

“Honestly, Alyssa,” Emma smiled. “It’s all good.”

Alyssa paused for a moment, the cogs in her head turning as she thought of how to take the gesture. “I don’t make a habit of taking favours from strangers.” Emma gave her a look. Alyssa let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair before eventually reaching out for the bag and slipping it into her backpack. “Thank you.”

Emma shrugged again. “Anytime.” She watched as Alyssa reached for the cans, the brunette’s shoulders slumping harshly with the new weight. She could see the other woman struggle to adjust her grip as she made a beeline for the door. “I could give you a lift back with those? It’s a long walk for you and they’re pretty heavy.”

Alyssa blew a loose strand of hair away from her eyes, shaking her head. “You’ve done enough for me, honestly. Thank you though.”

Emma nodded, trying to hide her grimace as she watched Alyssa walk a little further - though she eventually had to put the paint down, rubbing the sore indents from her palms before bringing them to rest on her hips. Alyssa let out a long breath, accepting defeat, and turned back to the store expecting another look from the blonde. Emma already had her car keys in hand. 

* * *

“So,” Emma said eventually, breaking the silence that had fallen between them - her fingers tapping out an impatient rhythm against the steering wheel as they neared a stop sign. “How are things at work? Must be getting pretty busy now-”

“Yeah,” Alyssa nodded, maybe a little quicker than she had intended. “It’s pretty good. I’m getting to know the regulars and the weather is bringing the tourists in so...”

“It’s the same for the store. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

Silence again.

“So,” Alyssa started. “You don’t have the kids today?”

“They’re with their uncle,” Emma smiled. “Probably driving him a little crazy by now.”

“It must be nice having him around to help out.”

Emma nodded. “It doesn’t hurt. Doing it all alone kind of takes it out of you sometimes. It’s nice having someone there to take some of the weight off, y’know?”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like being a single mom-”

“Wait,” Emma let out an awkward laugh. She shot the brunette a confused look as her brain worked itself around her statement. Alyssa gave her an equally perplexed look back. “No. I...wait, what?”

Alyssa’s eyebrows furrowed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything-”

“They’re not my kids.”

“Oh,” Alyssa replied evenly. It took a second for the penny to drop. “ _ Oh _ !”

Emma laughed again as the other woman’s cheeks tinged red. “My cousin Greg works away most of the time so I take care of them - they’re his. We’re the only family that we have so...I don’t know, it’s just the way that things have always been.”

Alyssa brought her hands to her face, burying herself in them to mask her embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I just assumed...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Emma assured her with a haphazard wave, flashing a smile to back her words up. It put Alyssa at ease almost immediately. “It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, y’know? I kind of forget that there’s a whole other world out there sometimes.”

“I know what you mean,” Alyssa sighed. Her mind flashed back to a few weeks earlier. She couldn’t help but wince at the thought of home. It was the whole reason that she was here now. She couldn’t go into that with Emma though - she barely even knew her. “All my friends are settling down but it seems like a million miles away for me.”

“I get that,” Emma nodded. “It’s hard enough dating nevermind planning any further than that anyway.”

Alyssa hummed in agreement, pushing her thoughts of home to the back of her head. “I’d settle for being a crazy cat lady at this point.”

Emma snorted. “And here I pegged you for being a dog person.”

“Oh, I’m definitely a dog person,” Alyssa insisted. “I was only sacrificing my morals for the sake of a joke.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“So,” Alyssa started, her own laughter trailing off. “No eligible bachelors in Edgewater then?”

Emma bit the inside of her lip. She gave the other woman a slight shrug. “I guess they’re not really my type.”

Alyssa’s head turned. She studied the blonde’s expression for a moment. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Emma’s answer had been the one she’d secretly been hoping for before she even asked the question.

“Oh,” she replied softly. “I, um, they won’t be mine either. I guess we’re both out of luck there.”

“Oh,” Emma said, unconsciously mimicking Alyssa’s reaction. “I guess we are.”

Alyssa nodded. She motioned to the left as they came closer to her house, showing Emma where to pull in - all the while trying to ignore the pit of nerves that had begun forming at the base of her stomach. “This is me here. Thank you again.”

Emma turned the ignition off. “It’s no trouble. Besides, I’d never have forgiven myself if I’d let you walk all the way home with that paint.”

“I’m not sure I would have forgiven you either,” Alyssa joked. She could still feel the indents on her palms from when she’d tried to lift the canisters earlier. “I definitely owe you one.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Emma opened her door swiftly, hopping round to the bed of the truck to unload Alyssa’s supplies before the brunette even had a chance to unbuckle her seatbelt. By the time that Alyssa made it, Emma already had a canister in each hand and a steely look in her eye as she focused on the wooden porch ahead of her. Alyssa’s eyes drifted down, scanning over Emma’s shoulders and down her arms - strong and tensed. 

She cleared her throat. “You, um, you can just leave them on the step.”

“You don’t want me to take them in for you?” Emma offered, rubbing her hands together gingerly. “Or if you need any help getting started?”

Alyssa shook her head. She wouldn’t have minded if the blonde stuck around for a little longer. There was a lingering voice in the back of her head that kept poking through, whispering to her that she wanted Emma to do more than just carry a few things into her house. Alyssa knew better than that though. She was getting ahead of herself. “I’ve got them. You’re probably busy, I don’t want to...I mean, unless you want to-”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Emma nodded swiftly. “I should probably...”

“Right.”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, similar thoughts on the tips of their tongues. 

“Well,” Emma said eventually, her eyes darting away first. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Alyssa nodded. “Thank you again.”

Emma gave her a smile. “Anytime.”

Alyssa’s lips tugged upwards too. “See you around, Emma.”

Emma gave her a small wave as she hopped back into her truck, her eyes never leaving the brunette as she turned and walked to the front door. She let out a long breath, her head falling to rest on the steering wheel as soon as Alyssa was out of sight.

She knew it already - if today was anything to go by, Emma was a goner.    
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! if you enjoy, leave a review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Alyssa closed her eyes for a moment. It had been a long couple of days. Between shifts at the restaurant and trying to get the house in some kind of order, nevermind navigating two different bus routes just to set up a new account at the bank in the next town over, she was wiped. It was worth it though. She was where she wanted to be - and gradually, day by day, inching away from how things were before. Alyssa stretched out her limbs as she took in a long, deep breath, relishing the smell of the sea air as it filled her lungs. 

She was starting to get used to things here, and she liked it.

What the brunette hadn’t quite gotten used to though, was sleeping in her new bed. She had been up all night, tossing and turning, and being up all night usually meant that the next day would be one of  _ those  _ days. The type of day that she couldn’t get her pen away from paper. Alyssa was plagued by new ideas - ideas about the little town that she was beginning to know well, ideas about the people in it too. By the time that she finally got through a cup of coffee and opened up her laptop, her words were flowing out of her in a stream of consciousness that she couldn’t wrestle to a halt. Shoehorning it all into some sort of draft for her editor was the hard part though, the part that Alyssa was struggling her way through now.

She was grateful that she had something though. The few months of writer’s block and throwing away thoughts that she’d had was enough to last her for a lifetime. That was part of the reason that she’d come to Edgewater in the first place though.

Or rather, it was one of the reasons that she had left New York.

Alyssa shook the thought away quickly. She didn’t have time when she was on a roll like this to get caught up on what ifs and worries. She flexed her fingers, easing away some of the tension that had begun to build over the past few hours as she typed away, hunched over her laptop. The sun wasn’t nearly as overbearing as it had been in previous days, instead there was a pleasant heat basking down on the town. Alyssa’s eyes flickered to her laptop again. There was a mountain of words ahead of her. She couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t just a change of scene that had given her back her drive. Maybe it was a someone too.

Alyssa had been quick to take up Emma’s offer of internet access and company, despite how hard she had tried to play it cool, settling at one of the tables out by the dock early that morning. She hadn’t had too many interruptions in that time though besides a couple of boats coming in and out, fishermen meandering around the area with their catches, and the occasional seagull that edged close to her as it scavenged for scraps. There was Emma too though. She had been a welcome distraction. Alyssa began to wish that the blonde would stay a little longer each time that she brought her out a fresh cup of coffee, in between customers and odd jobs - asking her question upon question to keep her lingering out of the deck until the familiar sound of the bell above the front door sounded again and they both had to go back to their work. 

Alyssa reached across for her mug. Emma could have easily given her one of those flimsy disposable cups, Alyssa thought, but instead she found herself holding onto a bright blue, hand-painted ceramic piece. She couldn’t help but smile as she traced a finger over the flower etched by the candle. No doubt it was a creation of one of the kids. Alyssa brought the mug to her lips, taking a long overdue sip. 

Cold.

Alyssa grimaced as the bitter liquid hit her tongue, its heat a distant memory now. She cursed herself for forgetting about it.

She didn’t want Emma to be waiting on her hand and foot, though the blonde didn’t seem too upset, so she pushed herself up from her table and turned to the store - just at the right moment to catch Emma staring right back at her through the window. 

Emma looked away sharply, her cheeks tinting red as she tried to busy herself with whatever trinket was sitting in front of her on the counter, but she was unsuccessful in trying to disguise the guilty look that was etched all over her face in the process. Alyssa couldn’t help but smile again. Of all the things that she was beginning to like about Edgewater, Emma Nolan was battling her way to the top of the list with little resistance. Every earnest look and endearing move that she made only solidified her place in Alyssa’s mind. 

No better time for a refill than now, Alyssa thought.

“How are you getting on?” were the first words out of Emma’s mouth as Alyssa slipped back into the store. “You looked pretty in the zone there.”

“Great, actually,” Alyssa nodded. “It’s good being out of the house. Thanks again for letting me stop by.”

Emma’s sheepish smile grew. “Literally any time at all.”

“Any chance of another coffee?”

“Sure,” Emma nodded. She was grateful that the brunette had turned up at all after her offer, but she was even more grateful that she wasn’t busy with the kids or something on the day that she decided to come. Though, she had been surprised to see Alyssa at opening time with her backpack in tow - looking bright eyed and bushy tailed while Emma was still wiping the sleep from her eyes. Emma slipped out from behind the counter and Alyssa followed closely behind her to the coffee pot. “Nobody disturbing you out there?”

Alyssa shook her head. “It’s pretty peaceful actually.” She watched as Emma filled her mug back up to the brim and motioned to the creamer on the table beside it. Alyssa waved a hand. “No thanks.”

“I like sitting out by the water,” Emma commented. “It’s good for when I have to settle my thoughts. Think things through.”

Alyssa hummed. “Definitely. It’s not what I’m used to.”

“Well,” Emma smiled, handing the coffee back over. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“If you want to come out and sit for a little bit, I don’t mind.”

“Right now?”

“I mean, if you’re not busy or anything,” Alyssa shrugged. “I’m just about to take a little break-”

Emma shook her head profusely. Maybe too keenly. “Not at all.”

Alyssa nodded. She was struggling to keep a smile from her lips so long as she was around the blonde. She wasn’t complaining though, it was a nice change. She made a little room on the table as they walked back outside, flicking closed the lid of her laptop so that there was nothing between them. Emma took the seat opposite her, her gaze drifting out to the water. Alyssa wondered if she always had a habit of looking so endearing without even trying.

“Have you lived here all your life?” Alyssa asked softly after a few moments of quiet.

“Not always,” Emma replied. “I came to stay with my grandma when I was fourteen. I used to spend every summer here growing up, helping her out with the store, and when my parents threw me out it just kind of happened. Here’s the only place that’s ever felt like home. And I’ve been here ever since I guess.”

“Oh,” Alyssa bit her lip. Her heart sank at the blonde’s words. She wished that she had never asked now. “When you were only fourteen?”

“Yeah. The summer before I started high school,” Emma nodded. She shrugged it off, trying to ease some of Alyssa’s worries. She could see the regret written all over the brunette’s face. “It worked out for the best. Honestly. I live right over-” She pointed behind Alyssa, across the street to a white house with an oak tree in the garden, and the other woman turned to look. “-there.”

“Oh, wow,” she replied. It was a beautiful house, she’d noticed it time and time again when she had been walking to and from work. It reminded Alyssa of the place she lived growing up. She thought back to that morning. “I saw a guy coming out of there earlier. Is that...?”

“My cousin,” Emma chuckled. “Yeah, he’s home for the next two weeks.”

Alyssa nodded. She remembered their conversation the other week, the hint that Emma was...But still, she wanted to ask. “That must be a weight off your shoulders with the kids.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Emma replied, though changed the subject quickly - motioning to Alyssa’s computer. “I never actually asked. What is it that you do?”

“Do for what?”

“For work,” Emma snorted. “It seemed pretty important and you’ve been out here all morning, so I just assumed that it must have been a work thing...and you don’t strike me as the type of gal to make a career out of waitressing - not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Alyssa hummed. “I’m a writer.”

“Like a real writer?”

“Yeah, like a real writer,” Alyssa laughed.

“Anything that I might know?” Emma asked. Alyssa opened her mouth to reply but was cut off sharply as the store’s door swung open. Emma groaned, looking back to see a customer. “Hold that thought. I wanna hear all about it but I should probably-” She motioned behind her, though as she looked back to Alyssa again she found herself struggling to look away. “-um. I should probably get back.”

“Yeah, totally. I should...um,” Alyssa nodded, reaching for her laptop. This time it was her own cheeks that were getting red, the blonde’s lingering gaze making something in her stomach flutter. “Get back to this.”

* * *

The next time that Emma appeared on the dock was just over an hour later, the influx of customers finally settling after lunch time. The kids had come by not too long ago, playing around the store after Barry dropped them off as Emma kept a watchful eye, and Alyssa couldn’t help but do the same thing as Luke settled on the end of the pier - legs hanging over the edge and fishing rod glued to his hand.

“Luke!” Emma called, poking her head out of the door. “Come inside for a few minutes. I have to take Ellie back to the house. It’s either that or you come with me.”

“Auntie Em-” he groaned, having just slung his hook into the water for the first time.

“I can’t have you out here when I’m not around.”

“I don’t mind watching him for a few minutes?” Alyssa cut in, though immediately worried that she had overstepped the mark by asking. Emma let out a heavy sigh, looking between Alyssa and her nephew. “If that makes things easier?”

Emma bit her lip. She didn’t want to ask too much of the brunette but she  _ would _ only be a few minutes, and there was nothing to make her believe that she couldn’t trust her, and she could do with avoiding a grumpy Luke for the rest of the afternoon. “If you’re sure?”

“Positive,” Alyssa nodded.

“I’m just taking her back to get dressed for soccer and then Greg is taking her,” Emma assured her. “I’ll be like ten minutes max.”

Alyssa waved a hand haphazardly. “Go. We’ll be right here when you get back.”

Emma gave her a grateful smile, slipping away again with Ellie in tow. She couldn’t help but laugh as the little girl called back a goodbye to her. She really was the cutest. Alyssa couldn’t help but think she must have gotten it from her aunt.

Alyssa turned back to her story again, looking up every minute or so to check on Luke - smiling as he threw his hook back into the water again. She let out a long breath. It was early to say but her work was shaping into something that might actually be worth reading again. It was a relief. It was only when she heard a yelp and a dull splash that her breath caught in her throat and her head shot back up again. 

Alyssa was jumping in the direction of the water before her brain even had a chance to register the movement. She bounded across the pier, leaping feet first into the water. There wasn’t much other option. One minute Luke was standing right there and the next minute he wasn’t, and now there was only a head bobbing in and out of the water in his place. The temperature of the water forced the air harshly from Alyssa’s lungs, her head dunking into the murky expanse, but she pushed herself back to the surface again as soon as her feet met the ground - though it was a few feet deeper than she was tall. Deeper than she had expected it to be so close to land. Far too deep for someone as little as Luke to keep himself up in.

Alyssa was with him in a matter of seconds though - grabbing at his t-shirt to get a hold of her. It took him a moment to realise that help was there, his hands still thrashing violently against the water even as she pulled him closer to her. 

“Hey!” Alyssa called out, her arms wrapping tightly around him. She kept him at the surface, letting him catch his breath for a few seconds - even as her head dipped back under in the process - before she began moving them back in the direction of the dock again, using all of her strength to wade through the water with one hand. “I’ve got you.”

“Luke!”

She heard an unfamiliar voice shout from the direction of land but all that Alyssa could focus on was getting Luke back to safety. Eventually, her hand hit one of the solid wooden pillars holding up the dock and pushed Luke upwards - a pair of hands from above reaching down to grab him beneath the arms. She pulled herself back onto the dock next - her lungs burning and her arms aching. Alyssa knew that it could have only been half a minute or so that she had been in the water but it felt like so much longer. 

“Luke!” Emma called and Alyssa let out a sigh of relief. At least she was back. 

Alyssa twisted onto her back, lying back against the wood though her legs were still dangling off of the edge, focusing on taking some deep breaths to steady herself again. She sat up after a moment, watching as a man patted Luke firmly on the back as he coughed and sputtered. He was okay though, that was the important thing. Alyssa looked up, meeting Emma’s gaze. The blonde’s face was a mesh of emotions, her eyebrows furrowed deep and her eyes glistening with a mixture of tears and concern. 

“Alyssa!”

“I’m fine,” Alyssa waved a hand. Emma dropped down onto her knees, enveloping Alyssa in a tight hug, but the brunette wiggled out a the blonde’s embrace - twisting to the side sharply to cough out some lingering water that had settled in her throat. Her mouth burned afterwards. Emma kept a hand on her back, rubbing circles as she caught her breath again. Alyssa forced her words out. “I’m so sorry. I should have been watching, I-”

“He’s fine, he’s fine,” Emma assured her hastily. She pushed herself up to her feet again and reached a hand down to Alyssa, who took it gratefully and allowed herself to be pulled up too. Emma pointed in the direction of the house. “He’s with his dad. I think he’s more embarrassed than anything.”

Alyssa leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I looked away for a second.”

“I saw everything,” Emma shook her head. “I ran here straight away. There was nothing that you could have done.”

Alyssa let out a huff of relief. “Okay.” She nodded, trying to convince herself too. “Okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyone would have-”

“But anyone didn’t, you did,” Emma insisted. Her eyes flickered down the brunette’s form. She was still dripping onto the dock, her hands trembling and her face pale. There was a large scratch on her right knee where she had scraped it pulling herself back out of the water. “Are you okay? You’re shaking.”

“I’m fine,” Alyssa nodded but Emma wasn’t convinced. 

“C’mon,” she replied, pulling Alyssa in the direction of the store. “I have some spare things upstairs. Let’s get you some dry clothes.”

* * *

Alyssa combed her hands through her hair, the curls threatening to turn quickly into knots if she didn’t at least try and do something about it. There was a soft knock against the woods by the stairs, Emma’s head poking back up into the room again.

“Hey,” Emma said softly, a small smile on her lips. “Did you manage okay?”

Alyssa hummed, nodding slightly as she tugged the sleeves of Emma’s sweater down past her hands. 

Emma bit the inside of her lip. The sight of the brunette wearing her clothes hadn’t been one that she had been prepared for, and certainly not the circumstances that she had let herself imagine once or twice. She stepped up the last few stairs and took a couple of steps towards Alyssa. There wasn’t a great deal of space up here but it was enough for Emma to get a little bit of privacy when she needed it - a desk, a pull-out sofa and her guitar. There wasn’t much more that she needed. It was the perfect place for her to escape to when things started to get a little too much for her. Alyssa was the first person to be up there too for a long time.

Emma handed Alyssa her bag. “I packed everything up for you. You’re welcome to stay longer but I didn’t want it all sitting out down there.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa smiled, taking it gratefully. She wouldn’t know what to do if she lost it. Her eyebrows furrowed as Emma sat down next to her, noticing that her eyes were a little more red than they had been before. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” Emma asked, her eyebrows raised. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Alyssa reached out, taking the blonde’s hand in her own. Emma’s breath hitched at the feeling of the other woman’s hand - her skin still cold from the water. “You don’t look fine, Emma.”

“It just caught up with me, I think,” she shrugged, taking Alyssa’s hand between her own and rubbing it gently to bring some heat back. She cleared her throat, her eyes drifting down to Alyssa's leg. "That looks painful."

"Hmm?" Alyssa asked. She looked down to the scrape. It was harsh and red and was definitely going to hurt a more tomorrow than it did today. "It's not too bad."

"You have to make sure it's clean," Emma pushed. "Put some Neosporin on it or something. I have some downstairs if you want it-"

"You're already been too kind to me today, Emma."

Emma frowned. "Too kind?"

“I should have been watching him,” Alyssa sighed. “I looked away for just a second.”

Her gaze drifted away from Emma’s. She could feel the guilt from earlier still lingering in her system. It could have all been so much worse than it was. If she had been a few seconds later. If the water had been deeper. If anything had been different at all, and it had been her fault? Alyssa wouldn’t have been able to live with herself. 

Emma inched closer until their knees were touching. Alyssa looked back to the blonde and her breath hitched. They were closer than they had ever been before. 

“I meant it earlier,” Emma said earnestly. She squeezed Alyssa’s hand. “Thank you.”

Alyssa made her decision in a split second. She knew there wasn’t any going back after this, but she was close enough to count the freckles on Emma’s nose and see the gold flecks in her eyes, and that was enough to send her heart racing.

She reached her free hand up, cupping Emma’s cheek gently. Alyssa wasn’t sure who leaned in first but it didn’t seem to matter as soon as their lips were pressed together. It was so soft - impossibly so - and before Alyssa even had a chance to register what she had done, Emma pulled away. Her eyes fluttered back open again, her stomach plummeting to the ground as she caught the blonde’s expression.

“Alyssa-” Emma whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa shook her head, her fingers brushing against her own lips. She shuffled backwards, putting some space in between herself and the blonde as she took a deep breath, willing it all to just be some figment of her imagination instead of a mistake that she had to live with now. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I-”

Alyssa screwed her eyes shut, trying to figure out the words to redeem herself, but before she could say anything at all her mouth was captured by Emma’s again. This time neither of them pulled away. Alyssa’s lips parted and Emma took as permission, slipping her tongue forward. She was quickly rewarded with a quiet gasp from Alyssa as her hands found their way to the brunette’s waist, pulling them closer together. Alyssa’s hands slipped up into Emma’s hair, only stilling as they separated again to catch their breath - the weeks of tension between them finally coming to a head. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Emma mused, resting her forehead against Alyssa’s.

“Me too,” Alyssa nodded. Her eyes flickered open again and suddenly it was all too much. “I-”

“What?” Emma let out a breathy laugh.

The sobering reality of the world around them dropped back into frame piece by piece. Alyssa could feel her chest getting tight. The damp clothes that were still resting in her lap, the heavy breathing of the woman sitting next to her, the loft of someone that was practically a stranger surrounding her. Alyssa didn’t know what she was doing here. It was exactly what she had come to Edgewater to get away from. She couldn’t ruin this too.

“I can’t...I have to go.”

Alyssa pushed herself to her feet, putting a wide berth between herself and Emma as she headed for the stairs again. Emma looked like a kicked puppy. Alyssa wished that she hadn’t looked back at all.

“Is it something that I did?” Emma asked. “Can we talk?”

“It’s not you,” Alyssa shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

**Author's Note:**

> i was watching safe haven and thought hm, make it less cliche and add a little gay. it's only going to very LIGHTLY follow the plot.  
> let me know what you think.


End file.
